Chat
05-28-2016, 07:52 AM
It took my boys a few long hikes in the desert before they learned to drink from streams and puddles. For years I thought Cuzco would never drink from a stream, but he eventually overcame his hydrophobia and then taught the younger boys.
I'm not sure how long or hot your hike was, but there's the possibility that they were simply not that thirsty. Goats can hold a ton of water in their bellies, and keep in mind that they pant to dissipate heat, which I believe uses less water than perspiration. As humans we've been told so many times to "push water" on hikes that we've forgotten the concept of only drinking when thirsty, and because of this too many people have unfortunately trained themselves to be thirsty all the time. Animals can't listen to "experts" so they haven't trained themselves to be in a constant state of thirst, and they don't worry about dehydration. I met one fellow whose goats packed in their water on the trail because they wouldn't drink from streams. I'm just not that nice. Mine have to drink from the streams or go thirsty. I figure that even if they get a little dehydrated, they're not going to die of thirst in sight of water.
I'm not sure how long or hot your hike was, but there's the possibility that they were simply not that thirsty. Goats can hold a ton of water in their bellies, and keep in mind that they pant to dissipate heat, which I believe uses less water than perspiration. As humans we've been told so many times to "push water" on hikes that we've forgotten the concept of only drinking when thirsty, and because of this too many people have unfortunately trained themselves to be thirsty all the time. Animals can't listen to "experts" so they haven't trained themselves to be in a constant state of thirst, and they don't worry about dehydration. I met one fellow whose goats packed in their water on the trail because they wouldn't drink from streams. I'm just not that nice. Mine have to drink from the streams or go thirsty. I figure that even if they get a little dehydrated, they're not going to die of thirst in sight of water.